Packers WR Koren Robinson not bitter toward Vikings

GREEN BAY  Koren Robinson recognizes that he has no right to feel bitter about the way his stint with the Minnesota Vikings ended.

Learning not to blame other people for his problems, he said, is an important part of his recovery from alcohol abuse.

“I take full responsibility,” said Robinson, who will face his former team in Sunday’s game at Lambeau Field. “It used to be, I was the victim. Now it’s not that way any more. I’m smart enough to really know that ’Koren, you put yourself in certain situations, and that’s it.’ You put yourself in that situation, you’ve got to pay for it, you’ve got to deal with the consequences.”

Robinson, of course, would love to have a big game on Sunday – but mostly so he can continue to work his way into the Packers’ offense after serving his one-year suspension and be able to “talk some junk” to the ex-teammates he still stays in touch with.

“There’s no hard feelings,” Robinson said. “I’m not a child (any) more, man. I’m not bitter or resentful in any way. You resent stuff, you give them power – power over you and your being each and every day, and I ain’t about that.”

The Vikings cut Robinson loose last year after he led police on an alcohol-fueled high speed chase in Minnesota following a guilty plea to DUI in Washington State in 2005.

“I can’t blame them,” Robinson said. “That’s what they felt, that’s their decision. Did I want to leave? I didn’t. Hey, look at my track record. They felt like they couldn’t trust me, so they had to part ways. I totally understand that, just being a man. I probably would have made the same decision.”

Robinson, who signed with the Packers last September but was suspended for a year in October, said getting cut by the Vikings actually helped him get “over the hump” and realize he has a problem.

“I don’t know where I would be, where my life would be going now, if I was still with the Vikings. So I’m dead serious when I say I’m appreciative.”

Robinson, who has attended Alcoholic Anonymous meetings and has been taking a drug that would make him sick if he ever drank alcohol again, remains close with several former Vikings teammates including safety Darren Sharper.

“You definitely wish him the best because of what he’s been through,” Sharper said. “And it’s good to see him back playing. I think that’s the best situation for him is to be back playing football. He’s with a good team and they’re doing well, so it makes it a lot easier for him.”

Sharper believes Robinson has been accepted in Green Bay.

“Hopefully he can continue to succeed and play well for them,” Sharper said. “Not against us, but down the road. He’s a talented player. It’s kind of its own therapy to be out on the football field.”

While Robinson probably would be playing more often if he were still with the receiver-starved Vikings, he said he’s better off with the Packers. Robinson was limited in practice on Thursday with a sore knee but is hoping to improve on his quiet three-catch performance in his return at Kansas City last Sunday.

“Hopefully (we’ll) be 8-1 after Sunday, so we’re sitting pretty over here,” Robinson said. “Sitting real pretty. Our destiny is in our hands, so I’m good with where I’m at.”

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WISH GRANTED: Running back Ryan Grant increased his workload in practice on Thursday, and Packers coach Mike McCarthy said he should be able to play on Sunday.

“We’re just being smart with him,” McCarthy said. “I don’t see any problems with him going Sunday.”

Grant sustained a concussion in the Packers’ victory at Kansas City last Sunday and was limited in practice on Wednesday. Grant, who was obtained from the New York Giants in a trade just before the season opener, has sparked a dormant Packers running game in recent weeks – including a 104-yard game at Denver Sept. 29.

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NOTES: Packers LT Chad Clifton was limited in practice on Thursday after sitting out Wednesday’s practice with a sore knee. ... Robinson, Grant, G Junius Coston (ankle), DL Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (illness), CB Al Harris (back), WR Ruvell Martin, (back), T Tony Moll (neck), DT Ryan Pickett (knee), LB Brady Poppinga (shoulder), S Aaron Rouse, (shoulder), DT Corey Williams (knee) and CB Charles Woodson (foot) all were limited in practice on Thursday. ... With Coston’s ankle acting up, Daryn Colledge and Jason Spitz took the majority of snaps at guard in practice. ... DT Justin Harrell (ankle) and LB Tracy White (ankle) sat out practice for the second straight day. ... S Nick Collins (knee), TE Bubba Franks (knee) and CB Will Blackmon (foot) have been ruled out for Sunday’s game. But Blackmon, who broke his foot Oct. 3, has been running in practice this week and isn’t necessarily out for the season. “As long as he’s making progress, we will see if he can get to a point where he can play,” McCarthy said.